Wow – 2009 really flew by! As this year draws to a close and another prepares to bloom, take time to reflect on your life and plan for a better future. Did you do well taking care of yourself this year? Could you do better? What is your new year’s resolution? Being happy with our dental health should be one of our top priorities for 2010. It’s up to us to control our future! Have fun and be safe this new year!
Holidays are a joyful time for friends and family, filled with good food and great memories. During this happy time you must remember to take care of your oral health, not only during the feast but beforehand as well! Since most dental offices close for the winter holidays (some for up to two weeks!), it is a good idea to get a checkup before the holiday – especially if you have any pain or sensitivity.
With regards to holiday staining of your teeth, as I have previously mentioned in a wine blog, white wine has an acid content that tends to increase the risk of stain or darkening of your teeth, if combined with other habits of drinking tea, or similar dark beverages. Do not be fooled by the crystal clear appearance of a white wine – they are certainly capable of dulling your teeth. Both whites and reds are equally capable of staining teeth. Certain acidic properties present in wine (white, red or rose) create micro-porosity etching which rough the surface of your teeth, making your teeth much more susceptible to stains from other foods.
If you were to drink a glass of white wine with a red meat sauce, the acidic properties in the white wine could make your teeth more prone to staining from the red sauce in your meal, or the cup of tea after the dinner! Red wine is still more “dangerous” to the pearly opalescence of your teeth than white, however, as it contains pigment molecules known as chromagen, which will stain your teeth. All wines contain tannins, which act as a binding protein, aiding chromogen to saturate upon the surface of the tooth. Just remember to brush and floss after every meal, especially during the holidays!
When you do drink acidic liquids or eat sugary foods, be sure to rinse your mouth with water. Brush and floss twice daily, and after meals – oral hygiene should be routine to avoid problems. Prevention is the most powerful form of self defense from oral health problems!
Apart from keeping your teeth beautiful and pearly-white, remember not to over-do the quantity of the foods you eat during over the holidays. Lean proteins (like turkey and chicken), veggies (like green beans and yams), fruits (like pumpkin and cranberries) are all delicious in moderation – the Christmas ham could be a bit much (taste everything)! Don’t forget the pumpkin or pecan pie for desert! Holiday meals don’t have to be boring and bland to be healthy; sample everything in moderation. Have a happy and safe new year!
Sure, us Humans may only have two sets of natural teeth that are produced over the course of our entire life, but dinosaurs, particularly the Tyrannosaurus Rex, had many. A fascinating fact: the T-Rex actually produced a new set of teeth every year! 60 Minutes recently featured a headline story entitled “B-Rex” which contained information about the teeth of dinosaurs, specifically the T-Rex.
The new teeth in the dino would grow directly beneath the existing teeth, similar to how our permanent teeth develop beneath our baby teeth. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a replacement tooth grow automatically whenever we have a problem?!
Earlier this year, researcher and long-famed paleontologist Jack Horner had uncovered “B. Rex,” a 68-million year old T-Rex that is giving the academic community a lot to think about, both relating to dinosaurs and to the use of tooth material (and other mineral matter) in fossils. Through a special process of acid dissolution of ancient dino bones, organic material – blood vessels – were extracted and found in near-fresh condition!
“[We] dissolved away pieces of an even older dinosaur – a well-preserved 80-million-year-old duckbill – in acid, and again, found what appear to be blood vessels.” With this matter, new creatures could be genetically grown that had fallen extinct millions of years ago – a dino zoo even! What is interesting about dinosaur teeth however is that they illustrate how versatile teeth are in Earth’s many different life forms.
Humans obviously use their teeth for tearing, chewing and start the process of digesting food; speech and aesthetic purposes are also served by our teeth. Although we only have two sets of natural teeth, we can artificially create new teeth with implant dentistry. Other creatures have no teeth, like ducks and geese, which simply use their bill to seek out food and begin the digestion process.
The systematic replacement of old or broken teeth in dinosaurs is what’s driving research that will hopefully, in the future, result in human teeth being grown for human tooth replacement. Imagine being able to have a real, natural and healthy tooth installed in your mouth!
A new tooth is ready to replace the existing T-Rex tooth!
Current technology, like existing biocompatible metals (such as titanium) are used to replace human parts like hip bones. Biocompatible titanium is used for dental implant fixture, replacing a tooth’s root being implanted in the jaw bone. Porcelain restorations are then attached to the artificial titanium root after proper healing of the jaw bone.
It is also important to remember that not all dental implant restorations are made due to improper oral care or an irresponsible lifestyle! More and more people are being born with congenitally missing teeth, which can cause surrounding teeth to become misaligned, a possible evolutionary trend. Early diagnosis always makes the restoration process easier.
Though technology is constantly evolving, and may at one point completely replace the need for artificial dental restorations, it is of the utmost importance to try and take care of what you have! A person’s original, natural teeth are always the healthiest and most desirable option.
Dental CSI – it may sound funny, but it’s a very real science! Teeth are not only for eating, speaking and looking beautiful, but can be used in crime scene investigations with bite marks and extracted DNA. Dental ID, similar to fingerprint ID, is the most common form of dental forensics, a definitive meansof identification of unknown human remains in forensic investigations.It is routinely acceptable as evidence in court. Because of the resistant nature of dental tissues to environmental assaults, such as incineration, immersion, trauma, mutilation and decomposition, teeth represent an excellent source of DNA material as scientific identification!
Dental DNA can be used in anthropology as well! Earlier this month, doctors from the Massachusetts General Hospital threaded a scope up the neck and into the skull of a disembodied, 4,000-year-old mummified skull, in an effort to extract a molar. The tooth DNA was collected from the pulp of a well-preserved tooth and used to solve an “ancient art mystery,” which could identify his or her gender and age from material lying deep within the pulp of the tooth.
My experience with forensic dentistry was sad and shockingly personal – I had to send dental x-ray records to police department officials for identification of a friend killed in a plane crash.
Even criminals are aware of dental identification. Just this past summer, reality show star Ryan Jenkins had been suspected of killing his ex-wife Fiore; the perpetrator removed her teeth and fingers to destroy her forensic ID. What he didn’t realize was that the breast implants in Fiore’s chest carried a serial number that was later used to identify the body, and subsequently issue a warrant for Jenkins’ arrest. He committed suicide.
Dental identifications have always played a key role in natural and manmade disaster situations, in particular the mass casualties normally associated with aviation disasters. In the attacks on the World Trade Canter on September 11, 2001, only an estimated half of the 2,749 victims were identified – through a mixture of DNA, jewelry, and dental records. The deceased individual’s teeth are photographed and charted with impression materials that can be compared to the dentist’s patient chart, to make a positive identification.
Forensic dentistry has also been used to identify several infamous figures from the Nazi era, including Adolf Hitler, Martin Bormann, Eva Braun, and Joseph Mengele. The assassin responsible for the murder of John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, was also confirmed through dental records. Even the remains of Czar Nicholas II and his family, who were shot during the 1917 Russian Revolution, were initially identified through dental identification.
Forensic evidence in dentistry is a widely-applicable science in the identification of those individuals who cannot be identified visually or by other means or used as evidence utilized in law enforcement, but in scientific discovery as well! Teeth speak the truth!
On Halloween (October 31st) weekend, Autism Awareness Walks took place from San Francisco to New York and everywhere in between. Michelle Parris, a walker in Washington, D.C. came out to the Washington Mall ready to walk 2.5 miles for her son Miles. “I just want other people to not have to deal with the same difficulties that my son has dealt with,” she said. “If there’s a way that we can end it that would be great.” The annual Autism Awareness Walk is to raise funds and awareness to help fight autism, a disorder of neural development that hampers certain skills associated with social interaction and communication. Idiosyncratic use of language is also consistent. People suffering from autism also often suffer from restricted and repetitive behavior. The condition begins to show itself in children as young as two years old. Because much of the condition is still fairly mysterious, raising awareness and funds to fight autism is vital.
Often times, children suffering from autism are very difficult to treat by a physician – especially in dentistry. Autistic children often have a very hard time trusting physicians (especially if he or she is unfamiliar with said physician). In regards to dentistry, autistic children can have difficulty sitting still. This can make orthodontic treatment very difficult, especially if the child does not like braces or feels they are causing him or her pain. An autistic child can be treated just as successfully as any child if he or she is treated with patience and care.
Regarding dental home care, brushing and flossing will require a family member’s daily help and guidance. Nutritional needs for Autistic children are extremely important, not just for dental hygiene, but for the brain. There are researches showing how certain foods seem to affect the developing brain of certain children, causing autistic behavior. This is not because of allergies, but because many of these children are unable to properly break down certain proteins. Researchers in England, Norway, and at the University of Florida had previously found peptides (a breakdown product of proteins) with opiate activity in the urine of a high percentage of autistic children. Opiates are drugs, like morphine, which affect brain function. These findings have recently been confirmed by researchers at Johnson & Johnson’s Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. Gluten-free diets (a protein fraction found in wheat, rye, barley and most oat products) and Casein-free diets (a protein in dairy) are suggested. A professional nutrition consultation is really a must.
I was luckily blessed to have the opportunity to treat some special people who needed special care. Of course, every patient is special in my dictionary, but when dealing with someone who cannot communicate (or resists treatment), the challenge is greater to make that person better. You can also feel the love in between the family members – the special person actually plays the “glue” role to get the family together! When you see them together, it is such a beautiful scene.
Treating Autistic or any other special people can be an extremely rewarding experience. Everything is possible if we determine how to make things better; with patience, love and knowledge, we can experience miracles!
In a story that spread across the news (and the web) in a matter of hours, a revolutionary surgical procedure took place in Florida that essentially used a female patient’s own eye tooth (canine) as a base to hold a prosthetic lens inside her eye, which was blinded nine years ago due to Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Blind for nine years, Sharron “Kay” Thornton recently regained her vision through a first-in-the-U.S. surgical procedure at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The surgical procedure — modified osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (MOOKP) — implanted her canine eyetooth in her eye, as a tissue base to hold a prosthetic lens in place.
The disease, which claimed Sharron Thorton’s vision for so many years is an idiopathic condition (read: spontaneous and of unknown-origin) which causes the epidermis to separate from the dermis in what is often a life-threatening battle. The condition destroys the cells on the surface of the eye causing severe scarring of the cornea. Because the eye is such a sensitive part of the body – which rejects foreign material, including plastics and other man-made objects – a piece of hard natural tissue was needed for the implantation of the prosthetic lens. Because the body would normally reject an artificial base, the eye tooth was chosen as a hard, durable tissue which was composed of natural minerals that the body would not reject.
Corneal specialist Dr. Victor Perez said of the procedure, which was developed in Italy, “MOOKP has proven effective as a solution to end-stage corneal disease where severe corneal scarring blocks vision and corneal transplants are no longer an option but the eye’s internal structures and optic nerve remain healthy. For certain patients whose bodies reject a transplanted or artificial cornea, this procedure ‘of last resort’ implants the patient’s tooth in the eye to anchor a prosthetic lens and restore vision,” he explained.
Before the eye-opening procedure, the eyetooth was actually implanted in the patient’s stomach for several months, in order to expose the tooth to other bodily tissues (blood, plasma etc), preparing the tooth for implantation within the eye. Had the tooth not been cocooned by the body before implantation, the chances of bodily rejection would have been rather high. Medical technologies like these (and revolutionary medical procedures) have helped improve our life so much – dental or other bodily implants have been used routinely with great success, but the bottom line is that prevention still is the best answer for our health and quality of life. When tragedy strikes – as it did with Kay Thorton – a combination of science and fortune just might save the day.
How could this be happening? Medication that is supposed to help and make a patient feeling better produces a deadly reaction?
Simple outpatient surgical procedures – which are performed in clinics, doctor offices and dental practices on a daily basis – which require mild to moderate painkillers is customary and routine may turn out to be fatal. The case in question occurred last weekend when an otherwise healthy 2-year-old boy died after being prescribed codeine to relieve pain from having his tonsils removed. The sad fact is that cases like this even the protocol of post operative was followed, and very little could have been done to avoid such a tragedy.
The child mentioned above had a history of snoring and sleep apnea (when a person momentarily stops breathing during sleep throughout the night). In an effort to clear the boy’s airway, he had a routine tonsillectomy outpatient surgery and was sent home. Doctors prescribed codeine syrup and told the boy’s mother to give it to him for pain, but two nights later, the child developed a fever and wheezing. He was found dead the next morning, according to the report.
Although the coroner’s office noted that toxicology tests showed the mother had given the child the proper dosage, the boy had high levels of morphine in his system, which is metabolized from codeine. Further investigation determined that the child had an ultra-rapid metabolism genotype, which causes the body to metabolize codeine at a faster rate than the norm. The only true way to have avoided this tragedy would have been to keep the child in the hospital overnight, for 24 hours, for observation to see whether his breathing had improved, and whether pain medications (such as codeine, which suppresses the respiratory system) could have put him at risk.
The take home message here is that common, routine dental procedures which involve pain relievers (like wisdom tooth extraction or implant surgery) must always be treated with the utmost care and attention.Be aware the potential risk of toxicity and allergic reaction of any medication . If you are unsure of your body’s reaction to certain medications or pain relievers, consult with your dental professional or primary care physician. If you have a child who is about to undergo an outpatient procedure, speak with his or her physician before the procedure. Are there any potential risks associated with the procedure, or with the post -operative medications ? Know your child and know their body – proper supervision is essential, especially with children.
Redheads feel more pain! New research published in the July 09 Journal of The American Dental Association found that painful experiences at the dentist might cause more anxiety for men and women with red hair, who were twice as likely to avoid dental care than people with dark hair. Red-headed children or adults might avoid dental visits and might be at a higher risk of affecting their dental health!
A child that has an unfounded fear of the dentist (or even a founded one, instilled by parents who aren’t very fond of their dentist or past experiences in the dental chair) are common, however due to a scientific quirk (thanks to mother nature), redheaded individuals do feel pain more intensely than non-red-headed persons. These extra sensitivities to pain might lead to negative experiences with dental visits, which as being parental health care providers, we should be aware of these phenomena.
There are two studies that exist. In 2004, research showed that people withred hair need twenty percent more general anesthesia than blonds or brunettes. A 2005 study indicated that redheads are more sensitive to thermal pain and are more resistant to the effects of local anesthesia. Researchers believe variants of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene play a role. This MC1R gene produces melanin, which gives skin, hair and eyes their color.
While blond, brown and black-haired people produce melanin, those with red hair have a mutation of this receptor. It produces a different coloring called pheomelanin, which results in freckles, fair skin and ginger hair. About 5 percent of whites are estimated to have these characteristics. The relationship between MC1R and pain sensitivity is still under study, researchers have found MC1R receptors in the brain and some of them are known to influence pain sensitivity. Non-redheads can also carry a variant of the MC1R gene. In this dental study that had 144 participants, about a quarter of the non-redheads had variants of the MC1R gene. These people also experienced heightened anxiety and avoided dental care compared with others who did not have the variant. There is no commercial test available for variations of the MC1R gene.
The best tips for redheads are to work on the prevention of dental problems, inform your health provider that you are highly sensitive, use TLC and be patient, wait a bit longer to let the anesthesia start to work and finally inform your doctor that you might require additional amounts of local anesthesia – because you are a special redhead!
As we’ve learned time in and time out, the oral cavity is integrally and systematically linked to the health of various other bodily systems – here we are focusing on kidneys. The kidneys serve for the production of urine as their primary function, excreting unnecessary bodily fluids and compounds. Kidneys also have several secondary functions concerned with homeostatic functions. These include the regulation of electrolytes, acid-base balance, and blood pressure. If you have kidney problems, apart from the well-advertised urinary and homeostatic problems, your oral health could deteriorate as well!
People with long-lasting (or even recently discovered) kidney problems often times have a bad taste in their mouths. Also related, they often have bad breath (halitosis). These problems – both of which are indicators of a serious problem in your system – occur because the kidneys fail to remove the organic compound urea from the blood. Urea breaks down to form ammonia, which has a pungent odor that is quickly noticeable; bone changes may also occur because the body cannot absorb calcium properly. Imbalanced calcium levels will weaken your bones, loosing bone from your jaw. Teeth may become loose or eventually fall out because of the calcium deficiency often resulting from kidney disease. The best way to help prevent bone loss is to make sure calcium and phosphorus levels stay within the goal range.
Anorexia, anemia, xerostomia, high blood pressure and heart disease, inflammation of the mouth, salivary glands and gum disease can all be symptoms and complications when dealing with kidney disease, apart from the influence of medication. When you have these symptoms, not only should a dental professional be contacted to provide dental examinations and treatment, but also a physical examination is needed. If you have kidney disease or are on dialysis, you should plan to receive any dental treatments on non-dialysis days for those on hemodialysis. Heperin, administered during hemodialysis, may cause some people to have prolonged bleeding. Kidney disease can also weaken the immune system and make us more susceptible to infection, so prophylactic antibiotics maybe needed before invasive dental treatment.
During the work up for a kidney transplant, a person will need to have a thorough oral examination. Any infection or disease of the gum or tooth can prevent someone from being eligible, or delay the transplant until the patient is free of gum and dental infection .
Keep up your home care program, brush and floss after every meal and follow a properly designed diet by your dietitian. Special dietary needs must be met if you have a compromised kidney condition. Regular visits to the dentist can also reduce the risk of oral infection and dental disease.
How much water do you use in a day? A gallon? Five gallons? Sadly, few people at all know how much they use, but the amount is estimated to be as high as 60 gallons per person per day, including showers and toilet flushes. This figure has tripled since 1900! What also may seriously surprise you to learn is that the average American (who leaves their tap water on while brushing their teeth) wastes an average of 3.75 gallons of water every time they brush his or her teeth! If you brush your teeth with the tap running, you waste an average of 4 gallons. With tap off you only use 0.25 gallons.
Turn the water off!
With water shortages becoming more and more of a serious problem for more and more Americans in drought areas, conservation efforts must be stepped up if we expect our water supply to last. One of the easiest and simplest ways to do this is to turn off the tap while you brush your teeth! A person doesn’t actually need all of the water flowing out of a faucet head while brushing his or her teeth – a full cup of water will suffice just fine for an entire brushing session, including rinsing.
Whether you are concerned about ever-rising utility bills, the environment or even if you aren’t concerned with either, turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth is a simple, easy step everyone can take to make his or her lifestyle more sustainable. Just wet your toothbrush, brush thoroughly for two minutes and then rinse your mouth with water from a cup. Clean your toothbrush in the cup with the remaining water and then rinse off again with a short spurt of running tap water. Shake off the excess water on the toothbrush, rest your toothbrush in an upright position and let it air dry until next time.
Any homeowner or apartment-dweller can take a multitude of steps to save both water and money in their homes by installing a low-flow shower head in your bathrooms, replacing leaky faucets and placing a brick or a gallon-sized milk jug in his or her toilet reservoir. Newer washing machines (both clothing and dishes) also have “high efficiency” water ratings which guarantee that a specific amount of water will be used when running the appliance. Save the planet, save your wallet and save our water by turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth!
The economy has not yet recovered, and although we are out of the darkest corners of the recession, uncertainty still looms! Where should we put our money, where should we invest – what about investing in your smile? Believe it or not, taking care of problems you may have thought of as cosmetic (like a missing tooth) can actually prevent facial sagging and other signs of aging, while improving your quality of life.
It shouldn’t be news to hear that polls done over the last few decades have proven that a person’s smile is one of the biggest factors that make a first impression. A survey done by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry found that 74% of American adults believe an unattractive smile can harm a person’s chances of career success. Does your smile show your true colors? If it doesn’t, speak with your dental professional about what options you might be eligible for in terms of cosmetic dentistry.
As we get older, our teeth shift around (and our smiles often degrade). This is primarily due to improper care of the oral cavity, including poor brushing and flossing habits (as well as not visiting your dental hygienist twice annually) or habits of drinking and smoking or clenching , grinding teeth at sleep. What you may not realize is that many of the most common aging symptoms – wrinkled skin, a slacked jaw, sagging lips – are partially caused by an unhealthy facial muscular system that did not provide proper support to the facial structure! As we clench and grind, our teeth shift and our bite falls out of alignment, contributing to many of the problems listed above. Thankfully, cosmetic dentistry can help prevent or repair some of these problems and restore our facial muscular system to its proper health and harmony, freshening up our appearance and providing a healthier oral system.
A bright and beautiful smile can take five to ten years off of your appearance, boosting your self esteem and empowering you to have a go-get-it attitude: a good thing in today’s economic environment! Speak with your dental professional today about your smile to find out what treatment options are available to you. Remember, prevention is always the best medicine. It’s always cheaper and easier to take care of problems before they exist!
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